Meetings to save Lyon-Martin to be held

An emergency town hall meeting will be held tonight to discuss the future of San Francisco’s Lyon-Martin Health Services, which serves women and transgender people.

When word got out in January that the 32-year-old health clinic was on the verge of closing, its supporters raised more than $318,000 to keep the doors open. But more money must be raised if the financially strapped clinic is to continue operating.

The latest news is that an external financial assessment has determined that the clinic needs an additional $500,000. And the deadline to obtain the funds is March 31.

The clinic’s interim executive director, Dr. Dawn Harbatkin, told Chron Rx that she realizes that fundraising is not a viable long-term business strategy and the clinic needs a variety of sources, including the city and private funders, to help maintain its operations. Harbatkin, also the clinic’s medical director, said Lyon-Martin has selected a new interim director so that she may continue to focus on the clinic’s health services.

Tonight’s town hall meeting comes the day before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduled hold a Special Order Budget Committee meeting, called for by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, to discuss the clinic’s future. Community members will join the health clinic’s staff and board to testify about the clinic’s services and the role the city can play in helping to create a future for Lyon-Martin.

The town hall meeting will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Rainbow Room of the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St. in San Francisco.

The Board of Supervisors committee meeting to discuss Lyon-Martin will be on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The meeting will be held at City Hall Board Chambers, 2nd floor, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place in San Francisco.